Smoke-protector.



PATENTED OCT. 11, 1904.

W. E, ANDREW. SMOKE PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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I his attorney. I

Patented. October 11, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. ANDREW, OF ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NEW JERSEY.

SMOKE-PROTECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,801, dated October11, 1904:.

Application filed March 25, 1903. Serial No. 149,525. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. ANDREW, a citizen of the United States,residing at Atlantic Highlands, in the county of Monmouth and State ofNew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSmoke-Protectors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved form ofapparatus for protecting persons entering places where there is smoke ordangerous fumes in the atmosphere, enabling the wearer to breathe asupply of good air. while the air from the lungs is exhaled as usual.

With this object in view and with others my invention comprises theconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as hereinafter setforth, described, and claimed.

In the drawings, representing an apparatus embodying my invention in mypreferred form, Figure 1 is a front View of the device in position foruse on a person. Fig. 2 is a side view of same, and Fig. 3 is a sideview showing the mask in section.

In the several views, in which the characters of reference indicate thesame parts, A represents the mask, preferably made of soft rubher, thatfits snugly over the upper part of the head and extends down to andsnugly fits the upper lip. A plate A preferably elastic, extends underthe ears (that are left clear of the mask) and around back of the head,thus securing the mask tightly in place and holding the lower edge ofthe mask tightly in engagement with the upper lip. There are openingsopposite the eyes and also one for the nose, as indicated in Fig. 3.

A plate of rubber A is vulcanized or otherwise secured to the front ofthe mask to inclose the nose and eye apertures and has a beak portion Ato extend in front of the nose, but not of contact therewith, so as toleave a chamber in front of the nostrils. A pair of lenses A A areinserted in the front plate A opposite the eyes of the wearer forobvious reasons.

In order to supply the chamber around the nose with pure air, I providea suitable reservoir B, preferably in the form of a vest, having anumber of tubes or cells 6, which may be put on in the usual manner andsecured by buttons or otherwise. A tube B connects the vest-tubes withthe nose-chamber and has a suitable valve B by means of which the air inthe vest-tubes can be admitted to the nosechamber as desired and thepressure controlled. If desired, any of the well-known forms ofpressure-reducing valves may be used, by which the pressure of the airin the nose-chamber can be automatically regulated. An air-pump of anysuitable form, such as an ordinary force-pump B, is attached to thevest-tubes, preferably at the lower part of the vest. This pump Ipreferably have permanently secured to the vest.

This apparatus is especially designed for use by firemen.

The vest can be worn at all times when on duty or can be quickly slippedon when responding to an alarm and adjusted, while the mask can becarried in the pocket, say, of the vest, without being disconnected fromthe vest-tubes. The tube B is, however, made detachable from theVest-tubes Z) by any suitable air-tight joint 6 so that the mask andtube may be disconnected from the vest-tubes Z) and carried in a placeother than the vest-pocket or for other purposes, as is obvious. When itis necessary for the fireman to enter a smokeladen room, he can quicklyslip the mask in place and then pump into the vest-reservoir a supply ofpure air, if it is not already sufficientlyfull. Until he enters theroom filled with smoke he can breathe, inhale, and exhale through themouth, which is left entirely free, so that he can give orders and talkwhenever necessary; but when he enters a room filled with smoke he turnson the valve B and admits air from the vest-reservoir to the nosechamberand inhales through the nose, inspiring the air from the reservoir,while he exhales through the mouth, taking care not to permit any air tobe inhaled through the mouth. When the supply of air in thevestreservoir becomes exhausted, the fireman or other wearer goes to awindow, door, or any convenient place Where a supply of pure air can beobtained and again fills the vest-tubes by the attached pump, which canbe very quickly accomplished, and he can then return to his work in thesmoke-filled room.

Without limiting myself to the details of construction and arrangementhereinbefore set forth, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. The combination of a mask arranged to inclose the nose and eyes andexclude the atmosphere therefrom, and having a nose-chamber, and aportion arranged to engage the upper lip and leave the mouth free, andhaving transparent windows for the eyes, and means for securing the maskto the head, sub stantially as described.

2. The combination of a mask arranged to inclose the nose'and eyes andexclude the atmosphere therefrom, and having a nose-chamber and aportion arranged to engage the upper lip and leave the mouth free,transparent Windows for the eyes, and a band arranged to pass around thehead under the ears and secured to the mask at the lip-engaging portionand bind the latter against the lip, sub stantially as described.

3. The combination of a mask arranged to inclose the nose and excludethe atmosphere therefrom, and having a nose-chamber, and

having a portion arranged to engage the upper lip, means for securingthe mask to the head, an air-reservoir arranged to be secured to thebody, a tube arranged to afford communication between the reservoir andthe nose-chamber of the mask, and a valve in said tube, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination of a mask arranged to inclose the nose, and excludethe atmosphere therefrom, and having a nose-chamber, and having aportion arranged to engage the upper lip, means for securing the mask tothe head, a reservoir arranged to be secured to the body, a tubearranged to afford communication between the reservoir and thenose-chamber of the mask, a valve in said tube, and an air-pump securedto the reservoir and arranged to fill the same, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination of a mask arranged to cover the face above the mouthand having apertures at the nose and eye portions, and a plate securedto the mask around said apertures and arranged to form a chamber inproximity to the nostrils of the wearer, means for securing the mask tothe head, transparent windows in said plate for the eyes, and anairreservoir having means of communication with the said nose-chamber,substantially as described.

6. The combination of a mask arranged to inclose the nose and excludethe atmosphere therefrom, and having a nose-chamber, and having aportion arranged to engage the upper lip, means for securing the mask tothe head, an air-reservoir arranged to be secured to the body, adetachable tube arranged to afford communication between the reservoirand the nose-chamber of the mask, and a valve in said tube,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of tWosubscribing Witnesses.

-WILLIAM E. ANDREW.

lVitnesses:

WM. H. REID, E. T. BRANDENBURG.

